On Secret Service East of Constantinople: The Plot to Bring Down the British Empire Paperback – March 27, 2006

Peter Hopkirk was an extraordinary historian and writer. Having read his classic "The Great Game" I was greatly looking forward to reading this book - and was not disappointed. A thrilling book from cover to cover, Hopkirk relays in tremendous detail Germany's intense effort to create a Holy War in Central Asia to their efforts in World War I in an effort to both defeat Great Britain but also massively expand their political reach around the world.Hopkirk tells the story from both sides having done voluminous research into Germany's considerable strategic planning to inflame the region and Britain's intense efforts to counter it. What really stuns me as a student of history is how little attention has been paid to Germany's efforts to create an Islamic revolution in the region. You cannot help but wonder how Germany's efforts then helped create a spark that has led to the rise of radical, violent Islam today.Overall, what Hopkirk sheds light on is the end days of the Great Game as we knew it then (of course, we have entered into a new Great Game in the region with China joining Russia, the United States and, still to some degree, Great Britain struggling to influence the still rugged and dangerous region.On Secret Service East of Constantinople is a must read for anyone wanting to fully understand all the factors that have created the Central Asia we know today.

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I have now read all of Peter Hopkirk's books for the Kindle, and to be honest I really didn't know what to expect of this one. Overall I am satisfied and somewhat surprised by the content of this book.All of Hopkirk's books are either directly, or indirectly related to "The Great Game". For those that don't know, this is a loosely defined period spanning the 19th century to the early 20th. To give a very brief explanation, it is the overt and covert actions taken by the British to keep India stable against the encroaching Imperial Russians. Even the book Trespassers on the Roof of the World: The Secret Exploration of Tibet (Kodansha Globe) makes reference to some of the people who participated in these events.The beginning of the book deals with the efforts of WWI Germany to sway Muslim populations into holy war versus the British and Russians. Obviously the alliance between the Germans and the last remnants of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) is covered. There are many things that Hopkirk asserts that I was unaware of including the desire of the Germans to build the "Baghdad Express": a direct rail line through Turkey to the Middle East. The Kaiser visiting the Middle East to much pomp and pageantry. Also covered are several missions to destabilize India including the attempt to sway the Afghans into Jihad. It is the classic "Great Game" being played by a new element, and Hopkirk does his typical masterful job describing the events.I have to admit though, the initial German parts of the story just did not fascinate me all that much. After reading the author's other works, his foreshadowing of events more or less gave away what was coming. The second half of the book made up for this however.The last part of the book deals with the Caucuses, a region I find fascinating. Within the last year I read Shattering Empires: The Clash and Collapse of the Ottoman and Russian Empires 1908-1918 and very much enjoyed it. This book deals with the same material, only from the perspective of the British instead of the Ottomans. Hopkirk also draws from Setting the East Ablaze: Lenin's Dream of an Empire in Asia and references several events that are explained in detail in that book. Some things I found absolutely fascinating:* The various governments that appeared in the Caucuses during the revolution period.* The fate of Stepan Shaumian and the 26 Commissars.* Dunsterforce attempting to defend Baku from the Army of Islam.Of course Mr. Hopkirk delves deeply into some of the players on the British side and recaptures some of the magic from his previous books doing so. Eventually the book focuses on Teague-Jones, a man who literally disappeared after the events covered in this book. The conclusion being that Mr. Teague-Jones died in anonymity; the last player of "The Great Game".I would recommend this book, though I must say that I am glad I read this book as the last of the series. Some people will really enjoy the beginning of the book. I thought it dragged a little due to the fact that besides the commonality of the German effort, the storyline seems disparate. So to me this book feels like two books. I enjoyed the second half very much. But besides the omnipresence of the German threat, the British effort in the Caucuses is the focus. In some ways it feels like Peter Hopkirk was trying to wrap up the loose ends of "The Great Game".

I love Peter Hopkirk's books and was surprised when I saw this one as I hadn't heard of it before. I didn't do my homework because it turns out this this book was published in the US under the title Like Hidden Fire (which I already own and have read). It has the exact page count and table of contents as this version. I'm not sure of the purpose of the name change: I think On Secret Service East of Constantinople is a more intriguing title than Like Hidden Fire. Anyway, if you are interested in Central Asia, this book, along with Hopkirk's other works, are informative and enjoyable reads.

Detailed, Engaging A great read... The rest of the story and significant history running up to the Great War. Hopkrik's book, much like his others, pulls together both the Geopolitical situation with the people involved and keeps you reading.